Court Battles

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has been in court defending the environment and human health. Litigation is in our DNA.

Here, you can follow some of our landmark court battles as well as other legal advocacy, including administrative cases and amicus briefs. Whether up against a fossil fuel corporation or a government agency, NRDC will continue using facts, evidence, and the rule of law to enforce safeguards and hold polluters accountable.

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Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. Bureau of Land Management et al. (Willow Project)

May 29, 2024 Court CaseAlaskaActive

NRDC and partners are suing the agencies that have illegally approved the Willow oil development project—a ticking “carbon bomb”—in Alaska.

NRDC v. EPA (Tetrachlorvinphos)

January 25, 2023 Court CaseUnited StatesActive

NRDC is fighting to ban the use of a dangerous pesticide in household pet products.

Communities for a Better Environment v. Corteva Inc. et al.

February 15, 2022 Court CaseCaliforniaActive

NRDC is working with a top environmental justice watchdog to clean up a chemical plant in California.

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Western Organization of Resource Councils et al. v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management et al.

October 21, 2020 Court CaseMontana, WyomingClosed

The Bureau of Land Management failed to comply with the National Environmental Protection Act when it approved management plans in the Powder River Basin.

Wilderness Workshop et al. v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management et al.

November 15, 2019 Court CaseColoradoClosed

In 2015, BLM opened hundreds of thousands of acres in the Colorado River Valley to oil and gas development without ever analyzing and disclosing the environmental impacts. So we sued.

The California WaterFix project

May 13, 2019 Court CaseCaliforniaClosed

The California WaterFix project was no fix at all. In a victory for the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, California abandoned its two-tunnel project in May 2019.

Coalition for Competitive Electricity v. Zibelman

September 27, 2018 Court CaseNew YorkClosed

In defending New York State’s authority to regulate utilities, NRDC is helping to preserve states’ ability to combat climate change and pollution from power plants.

Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. Zinke et al.

February 6, 2018 Court CaseInternational, United States, AfricaClosed

By sanctioning imports of elephant and lion trophies from Zimbabwe, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ignored concerns about illegal poaching. NRDC and partners are fighting for these majestic animals.

Court Battles